A local knife maker is looking for an apprentice. 8 hours every other weekend. Pay is knowledge and experience in smithing. Im trying to join the local carpenters union so i can be home with my wife and kids more. Havent discussed it with the wife yet since it would be on my weekends and thats really the only time i get at home to do things. What would yall do?

Is your goal to make knives in the future for profit or is it just a hobby?

If its just a hobby at this point I would lean towards spending time with the wife and kids more. They wont be kids forever.

Most definitely more time with the wife and kids.
You can get cheap and easy (or probably already have) all that you need to make knives. Make knives on your own. You can watch absolute masters of the craft do every step online, then walk out to your tools and make knives and mistakes, and all the mistakes add up to good experience.
IMHO.

Im in a similar dilemma but with the Longsore job. Ive been working 6 mostly 7 days a week between my main gig and that trying to climb the hour ladder.

Its not easy.

Average work day can be anyware from 4am to 8pm or 8am to 1pm and anything inbetween before or after.. Its causing alot of strife with my wife unfortunately

Yup I am sharing your pain my friend. The money is great but the time with family is priceless.

The time you waste now working your ass off to "get ahead", is time you'll never get back. Take my advice. Spend time with your family, every second that goes by you can never get back, before you know it, you'll wonder why you don't remember how your kid got that little scar, or when they had got their first crush, you'll miss out on more important things than mucking about making knives, or working extra hours to buy that new toy.

My two cents. Happy wife = happy life. Especially if you already have a lot of friction over your basic work hours then dedicating extra weekend time for an apprenticeship will most probably make that worse. If it was me in your shoes, I would pass on the knife apprenticeship for now, at least until you get settled into the new carpenter's union shop and hopefully your work hours settle out a bit. Maybe then you can revisit if the opportunity still presents itself.

I used to teach skiing both full-time professionally and part-time as a hobby to my tech industry jobs. Working an extra part-time gig on the weekends in addition to full-time work can be really rewarding but man it can also take a real toll by eating into family time and just plain rest and recovery. Plus I didn't have a grandson to take care of when I taught skiing. As someone already mentioned, they grow up fast and before you know it they're getting full grown on you.

The money is average. Im breaking even if not slightly behind hence why im looking elsewhere

This ^^

If you're breaking even and possibly behind working one job, you need a different job that gets you ahead. Not something new that may net you profits in the future and will definitely put more of a strain on your home life.

Hence why im trying to get into the carpenters union. Better hours better pay

No one watching their kids get married, or go off to college, wishes they had spent more time at work or doing hobbies.

Depends how long the apprenticeship commitment is. If it's short in duration, a new useful skill and hobby, and even something you can make money at, would be a smart play. And it's a trade you could even teach your kids so some time invested now, means something you can do with your kids, later.

I see guys turning junk steel into nice knives and other useful stuff. I think having blacksmith and knife making skills would be super.

While I agree about spending time with family, a person also needs a life outside a bit too...

Short term commitment, I'd do it. Long term, maybe not.

I have a forge and have been playing around but haven't fired the forge up for a few years now.